All purpose news and politics thread part VII: News & Politics Total Landscaping

[aja_christopher]

Much of the criticism is not about the specifics, but about what side's someone on. For example, if a person is criticized for defending someone, it should matter whether what they said was true.

This is an untrue statement — much of the criticism is very specific, such as pointing out Nazis at CPAC or noting Tennessee anti-democratic efforts and unconstitutional attacks on LGBT rights.

You simply choose to ignore it and any related facts or evidence.

It has nothing to do with sides and everything to do with your inability to address Republican racism, bigotry, autocracy and attempted theocracy in a multiracial democratic society.

If someone uses a sketchy rhetorical strategy, it's fair to call them out.

Correct — even when they complain about being called out for their hypocrisy and dishonesty.

Yeah, the left-wing purity tests are not helpful.

Democrats have a golden opportunity to expand their numbers, if they were able to moderate more.

To their credit the Democratic Party draws the line at accepting bigotry within their ranks.

That said — you should be more focused on the Republican Party with regards to change.

[4saken1]

Haven't seen anything from worstblogever in a while. Anyone know what's up with him?

[Username taken]

The James Gunn situation was a mess. His jokes were cruder, but it was also years earlier, and it set a bad precedent.

They shouldn't have fired him in the first place, and they were right to hire him back.

With Carano, I don't think people outside of the left cared, so it's not about Disney's wider image.
.

The little evidence we have is that Disney simply doesn't want controversy regardless of political leanings.

Gunn was fired for a campaign spearheaded by right-wing activists, this was a case where right-winger were outraged that Gunn criticized Ben Shapiro and got Gunn into trouble. Those guys knew that Disney simply can't handle that sort of negative attention and the company fired Gunn.

There's already precedent here. Like I said earlier, I think this stuff goes into whatever contract these guys signed with Disney. Most jobs do have clauses that require people not to post incendiary stuff on social media (hence why a lot of us stick to message boards ), so if this was in her contract, she should have done better to keep her job. No one is forcing anyone to post anything on social media, I don't know why Hollywood folk feel the need to constantly do so.

[aja_christopher]

The little evidence we have is that Disney simply doesn't want controversy regardless of political leanings.

Gunn was fired for a campaign spearheaded by right-wing activists, this was a case where right-winger were outraged that Gunn criticized Ben Shapiro and got Gunn into trouble. Those guys knew that Disney simply can't handle that sort of negative attention and the company fired Gunn.

There's already precedent here. Like I said earlier, I think this stuff goes into whatever contract these guys signed with Disney. Most jobs do have clauses that require people not to post incendiary stuff on social media (hence why a lot of us stick to message boards ), so if this was in her contract, she should have done better to keep her job. No one is forcing anyone to post anything on social media, I don't know why Hollywood folk feel the need to constantly do so.

Lecture upon lecture about personal responsibility but not for those publicly endorsing anti-LGBT sentiment.



A larger issue is the fact that conservatives repeatedly complain about “liberal” arts but repeatedly try to profit from them when they discover their own ideas can’t compete in the public marketplace.

Disney is a diverse company filled with LGBT employees and workers — they have no responsibility to employ someone who attacks the core values of their company.

[Tendrin]

Haven't seen anything from worstblogever in a while. Anyone know what's up with him?

I reached out to WBE a while back after noticing the same thing. He's well just very busy.

[aja_christopher]

——-

“Trump cannot line up full bond in New York fraud case, offers to post $100 mln”

“Donald Trump is unable to post a full bond while he appeals a $454.2 million judgment that a judge imposed in New York state's civil fraud case against him, and wants instead to secure a $100 million bond, his lawyers said on Wednesday.”

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...ln-2024-02-28/

[zinderel]

If you don't include the quote in context, it's possible that it's misrepresented, either due to poor reading comprehension, memory or gaslighting.

Much of the criticism is not about the specifics, but about what side's someone on. For example, if a person is criticized for defending someone, it should matter whether what they said was true..

You defend the Nazis in your party at every opportunity by suggesting that Democrats are ‘just as bad’, or by attempting to gaslight us by pretending that we don’t see what we plainly see. Or by simply ignoring when people point it out. That’s what matters. Not being specific about whether the Nazis at CPAC wore loafers instead of sneakers. It doesn’t matter that you’re ‘right’ when you are defending literal Nazism on display at (what used to be) your party’s big event, until your party sold it’s soul to a Nazi enthusiast and his supporters.

Much of the criticism leveled at you is your repeated defense of your party no matter how atrocious its actions, no matter how many videos or transcripts exist, while you whined vociferously, for days, about a t-shirt that said ‘I don’t believe in borders’ (worn by a black man). And you do it often enough that people HAVE responded to your requests for ‘posting specifics’, only for you to ignore them or condescend to them or mock them. Multiple people saying the SAME thing, and hear you are. Pretending again to be the rational one, condescending to those who criticize, and pretending that people are criticizing your ‘need for specificity’ and not the thing you’re being pedantic ABOUT.

[zinderel]

Yeah, the left-wing purity tests are not helpful.

Democrats have a golden opportunity to expand their numbers, if they were able to moderate more.

Lol. You mean if they were able to give the Republicans even more concessions? No, dude.

I will agree that an under-appreciated element of discussions about change is the extent to which Democrats moved left. It's fine to think that was the right call, but we're not going to have honest discussions of policy if this major detail is ignored.

Sides are real here. Most of the posters are consistent Democrats, or international equivalents.

It doesn't dismiss someone to point this out.

“Meet me in the middle!”, cries the ‘conservative’.
The Democrat sighs and gives up on the ERA in order to keep the government SOMEWHAT functional for another few months.
Or voting rights.
Or food stamps.
Or environmental standards.
Or regulations intended to protect the worker.
Again…

The Republican takes a step back. “Meet me in the middle!”

That is the history of America over the last 50 years. And now, finally, your party has become so deeply inbred (metaphorically speaking) and willfully incompetent (literally speaking) that it’s all coming to a head in your party choosing a greedy, racist, rapist, lying, cheating, stealing, totalitarian Nazi enthusiast as Irma leader and figurehead and paragon of Republican virtue and values to the world. And you have to try to make that palatable to non-MAGAts. So you pretend that non-MAGAts are the problem, not the proto-fascistic band of racist, homophobic, greedy, woman haters you call a political party.

You're still individuals. If someone uses a sketchy rhetorical strategy, it's fair to call them out.

There is frequent criticism of Republicans, and of me for being a member of the party. It also seems worth noting what gets called out on this board, and what doesn't, especially if there's a hint of an expectation that conservatives are supposed to respond in a particular way.

Personally, I'm willing to say when I disagree with my side. I've voted for Biden.

I am in general against tribalism. Addressing problems with it requires addressing sides.

You voted for Biden? Good for you. That’s part of why anyone still engages with you. You are CAPABLE of thoughtful discussion, at times.

But you still defend the Nazis in your party and refuse to call them out. Which, to some, might indicate that you don’t disagree with them…given that you say you call out your party for the things you disagree with.

What’s sketchy about calling out someone who repeatedly and consistently defends a party whose leaders and voters constantly espouse Nazi rhetoric and openly embrace Nazi voters and use Nazi symbols at their events?

Criticizing the Republican Party, and it’s defenders, for embracing literal Nazis - and providing proof over the years in the form of photos, videos, and transcripts of speeches given by Republican Party leaders, candidates, and voters over the last, oh, 10 years? The way people on this forum have done? That’s not ‘tribalism’.

That’s patriotism. Your party forgot that while they were busy wrapping themselves in the flag and waving upside down Bibles to provide cover for literal Nazis in their ranks. I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again:

When you sit at a table full of neo-Nazis who are openly praising the Nazis and spouting their rhetoric, and using their symbols and propaganda techniques?

When you don’t get up to leave or take the time to correct them?

When you instead defend them against people who point at the neo-Nazis and say ‘Those are Nazis!’? “We need to be specific, see…the Nazi Party dissolved after WW2, so these fine men spouting racist, misogynistic rhetoric, being WILDLY anti-Semitic, calling for gay genocide, holding book burnings, beating trans people to death for Jesus, and treating women like breeding stock? They can’t POSSIBLY be Nazis. You should be more specific, or no one will take you seriously…”

When you suggest that those pointing this all out have some ‘partisan motive’ for pointing out that you’re sitting at a table full of Nazis? And DEFENDING them at every turn?

You don’t get to complain about being associated with Nazis.

Sorry.

I’m through playing ‘nice’ when your party leadership is actively working on stripping away the rights of anyone your party’s base deems subhuman.

[CaptainEurope]

McConnell will step down as GOP leader in November.

[CaptainEurope]

´

By "accident" I referred the way key figures in the administration didn't know. It suggests something really bad about the levels of communication if they accidentally withheld information from key figures that the Secretary of Defense would be out of commission for a few days.

That is now what you wrote, though. English is not my first language and you have started leaving off words from tweets by my judgment. That makes it even harder than usual to get what you are trying to say.

[AnakinFlair]

McConnell will step down as GOP leader in November.

Probably preparing to endorse Trump, and doesn't want to deal with the backlash that will cause.

[aja_christopher]

McConnell will step down as GOP leader in November.

One less Russian agent in office.

[CaptainEurope]

Probably preparing to endorse Trump, and doesn't want to deal with the backlash that will cause.

Remember that he had those moments of freezing a few months ago. Attacking Biden on his age is difficult when you have the GOP Senate leader be older and visibly and audibly less fit.

[ed2962]

Probably preparing to endorse Trump, and doesn't want to deal with the backlash that will cause.

I doubt that was really a big factor. It's probably because of his health issues. He damn near had a stroke on live TV.

[zinderel]

McConnell will step down as GOP leader in November.

I’m sure he’ll publish a tell all book exposing the corruption of the Trump administration, and presenting himself as a hero of democracy and patriotism, while having done nothing to stop any abuses of power, or treason, from within his own party while he had the power to stop it.

You know, the way pretty much everyone associated with Trump has done, so far…?

Or, he’ll quietly wither away to dust on his pile of stolen ducats, laughing as he does at how he screwed over America for profit and got away with it, when no amount of immigrant orphan blood transfusions will keep his husk ambulatory anymore.